Department of Environmental ConservationNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Department of Environmental ConservationFri, 12 Aug 2016 06:58:04 +0000Department of Environmental Conservationhttp://wrvo.org
Monica SandreczkiCrestwood Midstream Partners is volunteering to change its plans to store propane in salt caverns along Seneca Lake, but protesters of the plan are not impressed. On Monday, Crestwood sent a letter to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), saying it would concede to some concerns. For example, it said it would store fewer barrels of propane. It also offered to ship the gas via pipeline instead of by noisy trucks and trains. But some protesters are worried those changes would just be a bigger blow to the community. “They’re not going to need employees, so there aren’t going to be any jobs either. Two or three jobs maybe now? It was a handful before," said Joseph Campbell, with the group Gas Free Seneca. "But now that they’re taking out the above-ground infrastructure, that takes out the jobs." Both anti-gas groups and Crestwood have been waiting on an official “yes” or “no” from the department of Environmental Conservation since last winter. There is no setCrestwood concessions don't cut it for Seneca Lake protesters http://wrvo.org/post/crestwood-concessions-dont-cut-it-seneca-lake-protesters
92240 as http://wrvo.orgThu, 11 Aug 2016 08:33:00 +0000Crestwood concessions don't cut it for Seneca Lake protesters Payne Horning The FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant is still offline as its employees and New York state continue their inspection of why the plant unexpectedly shut down last week. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant still offline after unexpected shutdownhttp://wrvo.org/post/fitzpatrick-nuclear-power-plant-still-offline-after-unexpected-shutdown
90404 as http://wrvo.orgThu, 30 Jun 2016 08:23:00 +0000FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant still offline after unexpected shutdownTom Magnarelli The state Department of Environmental Conservation is updating the public on its deer management programs. Deer programs used by towns and villages are seeing results but still need to track the lasting effects. Deer management programs are reducing numbers but effects still need to be determinedhttp://wrvo.org/post/deer-management-programs-are-reducing-numbers-effects-still-need-be-determined
88423 as http://wrvo.orgThu, 12 May 2016 08:27:00 +0000Deer management programs are reducing numbers but effects still need to be determinedTom Magnarelli Toxic chemicals have been found in the yards of homes along Ley Creek in the town of Salina, just north of Syracuse. Cleanups have been ongoing in other areas of the creek, but it was not discovered in residents' backyards until testing was done earlier this year. The injection molding and painting operations at a former General Motors manufacturing plant in Salina discharged polychlorinated biphenyl contaminants or PCBs into nearby Ley Creek until it closed in 1993. The creek would flood, sometimes into backyards, and PCBs were deposited into the soil affecting 19 homes along the creek, about 1.6 miles away from the plant. Mark Nicotra, the Salina town supervisor, said dredging of the lake in years past may also have contributed to the contamination. "They're going to have to remediate the backyards, remove the dirt, put new dirt back in," Nicotra said. Nicotra said he has been in contact with the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the RACER Trust, which was formedToxic contaminents found in backyards of 19 Salina homeshttp://wrvo.org/post/toxic-contaminents-found-backyards-19-salina-homes
87913 as http://wrvo.orgMon, 02 May 2016 08:08:00 +0000Toxic contaminents found in backyards of 19 Salina homesJulia Botero The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is working towards outlawing boaters from dumping their sewage into the St. Lawrence River. The agency says the river could be designated a “no discharge zone.” It’s been against the law since the 1970s to dump untreated sewage in U.S. waterways like the St. Lawrence River. But John Martin, with the EPA, says the new proposal would also apply to treated sewage. “A lot of times boaters for whatever reason will dump untreated sewage into the water. Of course that’s not very easy to enforce if you own a very small vessel,” Marin said. By making the St. Lawrence a no discharge zone it will be clear -- no boaters, small or commercial -- can release any sewage into the water. According to Martin, dumping is already banned in Lake Ontario, Lake Champlain and Lake George. For years, it wasn’t enforced on the St. Lawrence River because there weren’t enough pump-out stations along the shore where boaters could empty their sewage. Now, that’s changed.EPA considers banning sewage dumping on St. Lawrence Riverhttp://wrvo.org/post/epa-considers-banning-sewage-dumping-st-lawrence-river
87532 as http://wrvo.orgFri, 22 Apr 2016 07:55:00 +0000EPA considers banning sewage dumping on St. Lawrence RiverPayne Horning Anger was palpable at Oswego's Common Council meeting Monday evening over an increase in sewer and water rates. Many in the crowd voiced their displeasure with the Council for its December vote that increased flat water rates by $212 a year and metered rates by $152 a year. Some residents feel the cost of living in the city is becoming too high."I've lived here in Oswego for 70 years. I'd like to know when it is all going to end. I called my councilor, as it's always suggested to do. My councilor said to me, 'Darlene, it's going up next year and it's going up the year after that and the year after that. He said, 'I recommend you move out of Oswego,'" said Darlene, a member of the crowd.Former Oswego Councilor Michael Todd, who introduced the resolution to the council in December, said the rates are going up because of decades of inaction from previous administrations."For forty years, the DEC [New York State Department of Environmental Conservation] and the EPA [EnvironmentalOswego residents angry over hike in water and sewer feeshttp://wrvo.org/post/oswego-residents-angry-over-hike-water-and-sewer-fees
82795 as http://wrvo.orgWed, 06 Jan 2016 09:04:00 +0000Oswego residents angry over hike in water and sewer feesBret JaspersTuesday marks the deadline for legal challenges to New York’s ban on high-volume hydraulic fracturing. Groups had 120 days to contest the ban after the state made it official in June. Tuesday’s deadline is for Article 78 claims -- that’s the part of New York civil law that lets people contest the decision of a state agency. The agency in this case is the Department of Environmental Conservation. After years of studying the technique, it concluded that there was no way to effectively reduce the health and environmental risks of fracking. Kate Sinding is with the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. Her organization is not worried about any potential lawsuits. "We are very optimistic that the ban, because it was so well justified, will stand at the end of the day," she said. The ban is specifically for fracking done with over 300,000 gallons of water. One landowner group in Tioga County wants approval to frack with gelled propane. It’s likely that technique wouldToday's the deadline for fracking lawsuits in New Yorkhttp://wrvo.org/post/todays-deadline-fracking-lawsuits-new-york
79837 as http://wrvo.orgTue, 27 Oct 2015 19:55:30 +0000Today's the deadline for fracking lawsuits in New YorkJulia Botero If you’re been anywhere near a lake or a river this summer, you may have seen a big white bird diving into the water to catch fish. Ospreys have made a big comeback. But for many years, the bird was threatened. On Wellesley Island, for example, Ospreys are everywhere. I’m in a truck with DEC wildlife technician Blanche Town. We’re driving around the island, pointing out Osprey nests scattered atop almost every power line. Town is telling me about the time she got a call from a homeowner on Butterfield Lake in Redwood. An Osprey had built a nest on his roof and he was concerned and didn't know what to do. “I met him out there and it was great. He was like, 'Oh, it didn’t attack us or anything.' And I was like 'no, no, they’re fine,'” Town said. Town says Osprey love nesting on anything that's high enough to give them a 360-degree view of their surroundings. And they’re fine living nearby humans. “And he actually spent the summer living with this Osprey a few feet over his head. It wasOsprey make a big comeback in New Yorkhttp://wrvo.org/post/osprey-make-big-comeback-new-york
78613 as http://wrvo.orgWed, 30 Sep 2015 08:22:00 +0000Osprey make a big comeback in New YorkBret Jaspers The Constitution Pipeline almost passed through Cindy Beach’s backyard. But the route changed. Now, the pipeline will be about two football fields away from Beach’s house in the village of Franklin in Delaware County. To get the change, she asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, if it was possible to bypass her small property. But one neighbor wasn’t so lucky. Beach says the pipeline company is taking part of his property by eminent domain. With fracking banned, pipelines are at the center of the natural gas debate in New York state. That puts one particular federal agency -- FERC -- in the middle of the controversy. Even though Beach got a compromise from FERC, she still doesn’t trust the agency. “As appreciative as I was of them helping us out, I've come to find out that they are just what they call a rubber-stamping machine,” she said. “And it's been proven that their salaries are paid for by the permits that the gas and oil company pay for so...why, why wouldn'tPipeline fight puts focus on one particular agencyhttp://wrvo.org/post/pipeline-fight-puts-focus-one-particular-agency
78258 as http://wrvo.orgMon, 28 Sep 2015 08:01:00 +0000Pipeline fight puts focus on one particular agencyJulia BoteroEight thousand acres of pristine wetlands just north of Watertown in Jefferson County are open to visitors until Sunday. For most of the year, the Perch River Wildlife Management Area is off-limits to the public. The area is a breeding and nesting ground for threatened and endangered birds like bald eagles and black terns.A rare chance for birding on Perch Riverhttp://wrvo.org/post/rare-chance-birding-perch-river
77142 as http://wrvo.orgSat, 29 Aug 2015 10:47:00 +0000A rare chance for birding on Perch RiverKaren DeWitt New York Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens announced this week that he is leaving that position, just two days after he issued the final environmental impact statement banning hydrofracking in the state. The final report on fracking is a signal for others to move on as well. Anti-fracking groups say they are using New York’s stance to help convince other states -- and even countries -- to also ban the gas drilling process. Fractivists say NY's ban is influencing moratorium decisions elsewherehttp://wrvo.org/post/fractivists-say-nys-ban-influencing-moratorium-decisions-elsewhere
74652 as http://wrvo.orgThu, 02 Jul 2015 07:54:00 +0000Fractivists say NY's ban is influencing moratorium decisions elsewhereSamuel Whitehead Ithaca Falls is a popular spot. People come to see the falls, wade in, and fish. It’s there that Fall Creek takes its final plunge before flowing into Cayuga Lake. But a recent discovery has cut off access to this beloved space. Last week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found something concerning: lead. Nels Bohn, director of the city of Ithaca’s Urban Renewal Agency, said that early testing is preliminary. He also said that some composite samples “have measurements above 400 parts per million of lead” within 25 feet of the gorge wall. According to Bohn, that amount is the city’s cleanup objective goal for the Ithaca Gun Overlook site. On top of the gorge wall is the site of the former Ithaca Gun Factory. It’s been the focus of a number of environmental remediations. The EPA, the state Department of Environmental Conservation, and a number of private developers have worked for 15 years to clean up lead there. After working on the factory site, the next step was to look at theIthaca restricts access to Ithaca Falls amid lead concernshttp://wrvo.org/post/ithaca-restricts-access-ithaca-falls-amid-lead-concerns
74281 as http://wrvo.orgWed, 24 Jun 2015 07:46:00 +0000Ithaca restricts access to Ithaca Falls amid lead concernsMatt Richmond Regulators in New York are moving ahead with a plan to prohibit hydrofracking within its borders. In the latest step, the state released its final environmental review last week. And New York’s unique stance on fracking could have wide-ranging effects. New York's fracking decision will be hard to replicate or overturnhttp://wrvo.org/post/new-yorks-fracking-decision-will-be-hard-replicate-or-overturn
72677 as http://wrvo.orgTue, 19 May 2015 07:52:00 +0000New York's fracking decision will be hard to replicate or overturnWRVO News New York state regulators have released the long-awaited final version of its environmental impact review of high-volume hydraulic fracturing. And it’s expected to lead to an official state ban on fracking. New York state releases final fracking reporthttp://wrvo.org/post/new-york-state-releases-final-fracking-report
72468 as http://wrvo.orgThu, 14 May 2015 02:09:12 +0000New York state releases final fracking reportSamuel Whitehead From 1885 to 1986, the Ithaca Gun Company produced shotguns in a hillside factory northeast of downtown Ithaca. The factory’s smokestack still overlooks the city and Ithaca Falls. In the years since, the site has been the focus of extensive environmental remediation. Now, stakeholders are approaching the beginning of the end of the cleanup. When the company went bankrupt and left Ithaca, they left something behind, according to EPA spokesman Mike Basile. “Well, what we did discover, of course—and it wasn’t earth science to discover it—is that there was an awful lot of lead that was found on the site,” Basile says. That lead came from the test firing of those Ithaca shotguns. Guns were test fired four times before they were sold, to make sure they were up to snuff. The EPA was called in to perform an emergency cleanup. The agency worked on parts of the site from 2000 to 2004, using what were essentially big shop vacs to suck up the lead from the soil. “The site work really consisted ofIthaca gun factory site in decontamination modehttp://wrvo.org/post/ithaca-gun-factory-site-decontamination-mode
70706 as http://wrvo.orgThu, 09 Apr 2015 09:16:55 +0000Ithaca gun factory site in decontamination modeMatt RichmondNew York’s Department of Environmental Conservation has been working with IBM to clean up a chemical spill in the Southern Tier town of Endicott for years now. At a public meeting recently, officials from the DEC gave an update on one of the contaminated areas identified for cleanup. According to New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation, the cleanup of the so-called toxic plume in Endicott is proving successful. The toxic plume refers to the chemical contamination underneath and near the IBM chip manufacturing plant in Endicott. IBM pays a system that cleans the contaminated groundwater and sends it back into the aquifer. Ventilation is also used for contaminated homes. At the DEC-sponsored meeting to update residents, Frank Roma of the Western Broome Environmental Stakeholders Coalition says IBM has done a good job -- so far -- in reducing the plume. “My only concern at this point is that they don’t just leave it as it is. We need to continue pumping and treating,” saidSouthern Tier town's "toxic plume" reduced by 80 percent, says DEChttp://wrvo.org/post/southern-tier-towns-toxic-plume-reduced-80-percent-says-dec
69417 as http://wrvo.orgMon, 09 Mar 2015 09:32:00 +0000Southern Tier town's "toxic plume" reduced by 80 percent, says DECJulia Botero Crude oil from the Midwest is moving by pipeline and rail across the U.S., including parts of the North Country. Some companies are interested in shipping oil to East Coast refineries by way of the St. Lawrence River. At a conference organized last weekend by the Thousand Islands-based group, Save the River, environmentalists and state officials voiced concern over the potential of a catastrophic oil spill. The St. Lawrence river is frozen solid right now but come spring, tankers will begin their slow journey up and down the waterway. They carry huge amounts of heavy raw materials like grain, iron and coal to ports in the U.S. and Canada. Only a few shipments of crude oil from Alberta Sands in Canada and the Baaken in North Dakota have come through the seaway. But environmentalists and state official are concerned more will come. “This is a huge issue because there is a lot of oil in different forms being extracted in the Midwest in our country and in Alberta Canada," said LeeCan Alberta Sands oil be safely shipped on the St. Lawrence?http://wrvo.org/post/can-alberta-sands-oil-be-safely-shipped-st-lawrence
68231 as http://wrvo.orgWed, 11 Feb 2015 10:45:00 +0000Can Alberta Sands oil be safely shipped on the St. Lawrence?Julia Botero There is a deer in the village of Pulaski, N.Y., that will not run away if you come close. Residents have named the deer Bella. She naps on front porches, eats from people's hands and stands still while children pet her. Bella even has a Facebook page. WRVO's Julia Botero tried to friend Bella, but the deer had too many friends on the site, over 5,000. So, on a warm day last week Julia drove to Pulaski hoping to meet Bella face to snout. * * * As I pull onto a quiet street in the village I come across Leon Woods sitting in a chair on his front lawn. He calls himself the ears and eyes of Pulaski. I ask him if he's seen Bella and he tells me she came by about a week ago. "She has a mind of her own," Woods said. "She shows up whenever she wants to, but when it is really bitter cold you don't see her. But most of the time she'll be out. I make sure I always have an apple or pear in my pocket." He is the groundskeeper at a local elementary school down the street, where Bella likes to hangBella the Deer in Pulaski delights villagers, worries DEChttp://wrvo.org/post/bella-deer-pulaski-delights-villagers-worries-dec
65545 as http://wrvo.orgMon, 29 Dec 2014 11:42:03 +0000Bella the Deer in Pulaski delights villagers, worries DECGino Geruntino A thiamine deficiency might be to blame for a recent die-off of steelhead trout in the Salmon River.The Department of Environmental Conservation says it began receiving reports about steelhead trout swimming erratically and dying in the Salmon River and other rivers off Lake Ontario last month. Three fish were sent to Cornell's Aquatic Animal Health Lab, where research scientist Rod Getchell examined the fish for diseases."We did our normal work up, looking for bacterial pathogens, viral pathogens, things like fungus or heavy parasite loads," Getchell said. "And we did not find any of those things in the three steelhead trout that were brought to us."He says a thiamine deficiency is likely the culprit, and believes the deaths may be caused by a diet that can deplete the vitamin's levels, causing the behavior."They feed on alewives, and that's a baitfish," Getchell said. "And that baitfish contains a lot of thiaminase, so the enzyme that breaks down this vitamin."The DEC also has beenFish die-off on Salmon River could be caused by vitamin deficiencyhttp://wrvo.org/post/fish-die-salmon-river-could-be-caused-vitamin-deficiency
65874 as http://wrvo.orgMon, 22 Dec 2014 10:06:00 +0000Fish die-off on Salmon River could be caused by vitamin deficiencyJenna Flanagan Winery owners have been stepping up their pressure on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to reject a proposal to store natural gas liquids in the salt caverns along scenic Seneca Lake. A small but passionate group of career vineyard farmers and winery owners had one united message to deliver to Albany recently. “We demand that Gov. Cuomo do the right thing and deny all these permits for gas storage on the west side of Seneca Lake,” says Doug Hazlet, a Seneca Lake vineyard owner. Hazlet, like other members of the group, said the Finger Lakes identity was based on their world class wines and scenic beauty. That, says Will Olean owner of O-Neh-Da & Eagle Crest Vineyards on Hemlock Lake, can’t be recreated. “Millions of people vacation in the Finger Lakes Wine Country each year," he said. "They come from neighboring states to escape the truck traffic, the noise, the air and light pollution of their state’s gas and oil industry.” Olean also accused energy company Crestwood Midstream, who are behind theFinger Lakes vineyard owners continue opposition to natural gas storage planhttp://wrvo.org/post/finger-lakes-vineyard-owners-continue-opposition-natural-gas-storage-plan
60133 as http://wrvo.orgSat, 09 Aug 2014 12:34:00 +0000Finger Lakes vineyard owners continue opposition to natural gas storage plan